Journalists who are unable to attend the presentation on Wednesday can arrange an interview with a child with diabetes by contacting ADA's Zach Goldberg at 703-549-1500, ext. 2622.
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CONTACT: Francine Haddad of the American Diabetes Association, +1-800-676-4065 ext.1684, [email protected].
/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Sept. 10 /
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WHAT: A group of Ohio children with diabetes will present Gov. Ted Strickland with crafted hearts to urge passage of the Diabetes Cost Reduction Act (SB99/HB137) -- legislation that would help to ensure that insured Ohioans with diabetes have the medication, supplies and training required to properly manage the disease and prevent its serious complications. The children, volunteers with the American Diabetes Association (ADA), will thank the Governor for his support of the legislation and urge legislators to pass the bill. WHEN: Wednesday, September 12 at 3:10 p.m. WHERE: Office of Governor Ted Strickland, 1st Floor of the Statehouse WHY: Ohio is one of just four states -- along with Alabama, Idaho, and North Dakota -- that have not passed legislation to require state-regulated health plans to provide comprehensive diabetes health coverage. "What does Ohio know that 46 other states don't?" said Debi Martin of Williamsburg, whose daughter Jessi has type 1 diabetes and will be one of the children to present the hearts on Wednesday. Diabetes afflicts more than 1 million people in Ohio, of whom about 380,000 would be affected by the legislation, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Management and treatment of the disease is vital to people with diabetes, and that requires supplies, including blood glucose strips, a blood glucose monitor, insulin and an insulin delivery system (such as an insulin pump, injector pen or syringes). Currently, none of these require coverage by state-regulated insurance companies. Greater access to care will save millions of dollars in productivity, emergency room visits, hospital stays and surgery. Studies from other states have demonstrated that implementation of a Diabetes Cost Reduction Act (DCRA) is cost effective. A South Carolina study released by the South Carolina Budget and Control Board in 2003 found that patients who took a diabetes education course had $2,324 less in medical claims per year than patients with similar symptoms and problems who did not go through Diabetes Chronic Disease workshops. In 2003, the Utah Department of Insurance studied the state's DCRA and reported that it did not increase comprehensive claims costs more than 0.1 percent.
SOURCE American Diabetes Association
